Chelsea King and Chelsea's Law

Chelsea’s law has been passed by the senate and is currently waiting to be signed into action by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Law which is created in memory of 17 year old Chelsea King who was murdered by a career registered offender John Gardner III who has confessed to killing the teen.

John Gardner III not only admitted to killing Chelsea King after her body was located but he later led authorities to the body of another missing teenager, 14 year old Amber Dubois. Amber Dubois had been missing for over a year before John Gardner showed police where she was located.

There are many aspects to Chelsea’s Law that simply increase the time mandated for offenders to serve depending on what age child and what acts are forced upon a child. Yet, several aspects of Chelsea’s law would require offenders who hurt children to be sentenced to a lifetime of parole, and those committing violent acts against a child would be sentenced to a mandatory sentence of life without parole.

Previously John Gardner III had been convicted of beating and raping a 13 year old girl, after she attempted to stop Gardner from hurting her. The 13 year old girl had lived near John Gardner III, and Brent King the father of Chelsea King feels if Chelsea's Law had been in effect before his daughter disappeared she may likely be alive today. Chelsea was assaulted and strangled to death after she went missing while leaving her San Diego High School February 25th.

The day before Chelsea King was reported missing an eleven year old girl reported a man in a car following her, and when John Gardner’s photograph was released to the news media the 11 year old girl told her mom that he was the man who tried to Thankfully for the 11 year old an alert woman noticed the man in the black car watching the little girl and she offered to follow the 11 year old home to safety.

John Gardner III is a predator. He seeks out, stalks and hunts children like prey. Had Chelsea’s law been in place years ago it is possible that Amber Dubois and Chelsea King would be alive and the 11 year old would not have had to live through her own scare.

For too long now have we been too lenient on people who hurt our children and we need laws that will mandate child predators will serve a long and hard sentence behind bars, for only then are children safe to play outside. We must no longer feel we can rehabilitate child offenders and give them stiff and swift sentences the first time they try or succeed in hurting a child. For anyone who can hurt a child and not feel remorse is truly a monster not deserving of our time or energy.